LED headlights and DRLs, not what I expected

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Womelsdorf, PA
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2024 Mazda Turbo Signature from Lancaster, PA
This is my 4th CX-5 and it's a 2020 GT. Seems like the headlights are always on and cannot be turned off. Is this normal. Service tech told me this is normal. If this is normal, why have a auto mode.
 
Not normal. The settings are well documented here: https://www.mazdausa.com/static/manuals/2020/cx-5/contents/05030100.html

Whenever the headlights are "On" this will be displayed on your dash:
05030101-tcusa01-001.png
 
Normal. DRLs are the headlights. I believe the brightness is slightly reduced though. I was bummed about this. I think it would look nicer with just the LED parking lights as DRLs.
 
yes, on the US models the headlights on low power mode are the drl. on the european its the Led signature lines (all trims have led lines drls actually) that act as drl. So it is possible but just not on the US models, plus the lower cx5 trims I think dont even have led lines in the headlamp.
Its how the cars are programmed but nobody has found a way to have only the led signature lines as drls on the US models.

and yes it can be turn off on the US models but then there are no lights at all.

the auto mode is to actually turn the headlamps on full power when it gets dark.
 
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It is low powered drl. Auto mode is for turning headlight automatically when it gets dark. So they are not the same. My 2019 gt had same and there isn't easy way to on and off. But, there is a procedure that I used to turn it off the drl. It should be somewhere in this forum.
 
If this is normal, why have a auto mode.
As everyone said, it is normal. Auto mode operates when it gets dark to turn on the headlamps to full brightness, as well as the parking/driving lights at front and rear.
 
I disabled the DRL's in my 2019 and would never use the auto mode. It seems brainless that the lights turn on automatically when I start the car inside the garage during the daytime, or turn on when I pull back into the garage in the daytime.
I think I have sense enough to know when it is dark enough to turn on the headlights or when weather conditions dictate that having the lights on is a good idea.
How hard is it to twist the switch on the left stalk ?
Same with the auto mode on the HVAC system. I know better than it does and selecting the settings is simple enough.
 
yes, on the US models the headlights on low power mode are the drl. on the european its the Led signature lines (all trims have led lines drls actually) that act as drl.

On the european 2020 model there is no Led signature lines, its LED parking lights as DRLs
 
Opinions on the Auto mode are not relevant to the topic of the thread. Please stay on topic.
 
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thats what I meant by drl signature lines :) above pics are from the eu models gen2.
same are on GT and higher trims in US but cant be used as drl although it would be great if they could be.
 
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This is DRL in EU, Signature line are parking lights.
 

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Somehow I thought I saw a CX5- with the signature lines lit without headlights on but there might have been another reason. Could it be on the highest trims only?

I stand corrected then. Thank you.
 
The only way to get that look on the US models is to disable the DRL feature then turn the headlight switch to the “parking lights” position.
 
The only way to get that look on the US models is to disable the DRL feature then turn the headlight switch to the “parking lights” position.
I haven't tested this but wouldn't turning the switch to parking lights turn off DRL automatically, without having to disable the feature? Usually, any setting other than 'Off' will disable DRLs.
 
I haven't tested this but wouldn't turning the switch to parking lights turn off DRL automatically, without having to disable the feature? Usually, any setting other than 'Off' will disable DRLs.
No, as soon as you start moving a few miles an hour DRL’s will come on.
 
This is DRL in EU, Signature line are parking lights.
Mazda made the DRL setup very complicated on gen-2 CX-5 worldwide. There're plenty of pictures of DRL setups on gen-2 CX-5 worldwide in this long thread with 520 posts in 26 pages. IMO DRL setup on US gen-2 CX-5 should be like those in Europe and Australia, either using dedicated inboard DRLs (not with low-beam headlights and not the amber parking lights) or using only LED Signature accent strip for DRLs without low-beams like 2016 / 2016.5 CX-5.

2017 CX-5 drl question

Although 2017 CX-5 owner's manual says the front turn signal/parking light uses dual-filament 7444NA bulb, but the pictures I took earlier on a 2017 CX-5 GT suggests otherwise:

Light switch at parking light position:
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Light switch at headlight on position (low beam):
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LED Signature accent strips added on GT partially block turn signal and LED DRL location on Touring/Sport. And you can see how small and dim the turn signal is on GT comparing to Touring/Sport when the headlights are on!

The LED DRL space on Touring/Sport between headlight and amber parking/turn signal looks like unused on GT.

View attachment 217137 View attachment 217136

Here are some pictures from 2017 CX-5 Touring showing whenever DRL function is on, both LED DRLs and LED low-beam headlights are simultaneously on! You can imagine how GT DRLs work by replacing Touring LED DRLs with GT's LED Signature DRLs.

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Here's what the front lights look like when light switch is at parking light position without DRL function when car is in stationary:
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Here's what the front lights look like when light switch is at headlight-on position without DRL function when car is in stationary:
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Finally for 2017 CX-5 Touring the high-beam is from the same LED cell for the low beam in the projector, and use a shutter to control them like 2015 bi-xenon HID. For 2016 LED headlights we have a separate LED cell at inner side of the low beam LED dedicated for high beam only.


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I was actually saying only the USA/Canada have DRL+LED combination for LED DRL's. See below:

jjpkpi.jpg


Note the black arrow showing the whole lamp assembly is lit for DRL that is DRL+LED headlights

Elsewhere in the world (there maybe others like USA but the rest should be different), LED DRL should like this:

ev5ema.jpg


Note the red arrows showing only the LED DRL is lit and not the LED headlight itself.

I wasn't talking about halogen DRLs.

And yes only top spec models seem to have LED related DRL's.

As for LED headlights, depends on the country.
Looks like UK has the same setup as Australia.

mazda-cx-5-716.jpg


But I can't figure out who gets this setup, which is perfect.
cx-5-03.jpg

Yeah, it looks like the Aussie's have an inboard DRL that is not on US spec cars that looks like it is on all the time when driving. But at least it's not the headlights.

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Looks like UK has the same setup as Australia.

mazda-cx-5-716.jpg


But I can't figure out who gets this setup, which is perfect.
cx-5-03.jpg
 
Somehow I thought I saw a CX5- with the signature lines lit without headlights on but there might have been another reason. Could it be on the highest trims only?

I don't know if this is possible on other trim levels but my Sig is set for just the halo effect while driving and no DRL. I performed the DRL disable procedure and then leave the switch stalk in the parking lamp position. The halos turn themselves off 30 seconds after I leave the vehicle so no chance of draining the battery.

Edit: This is a U.S. spec vehicle.

IMG-1501-1.jpg
 
I don't know if this is possible on other trim levels but my Sig is set for just the halo effect while driving and no DRL. I performed the DRL disable procedure and then leave the switch stalk in the parking lamp position. The halos turn themselves off 30 seconds after I leave the vehicle so no chance of draining the battery.

Edit: This is a U.S. spec vehicle.

IMG-1501-1.jpg
I can confirm this as I do the same.
 
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